Problem Gambling
How do you know that you’re developing a gambling problem? There are many signs along the way that could hint that you’re going in that direction or that you have a full-blown addiction.
We don’t claim to be able to answer the question for you, but we can list a number of traits of problem gamblers. If you recognize yourself (or friends/loved ones) in any part of this list, your next step is to seek help. A professional will be able to make an official diagnosis and point you in the direction of the type of help you need.
Check this list as a first step:
• You’ve become desensitised to the things that once brought you joy.
• You’ve missed one too many family events.
• Your sleeping, food or sexual habits have undergone a change.
• You’re ignoring important things in life such as self-care, studies, relationships and commitments.
• You fight with other people over finances.
• You drink alcohol or take drugs more than you used to.
• You do not spend as much time as normal with friends or family and have withdrawn from them.
• Gambling is always on your mind.
• You experience mood swings or have anger management issues.
• A lot more of your spending is done on gambling than before.
• You have considered cheating or stealing to get your hands on funds to use for your gambling habits, or you’ve already done so.
• You have asked your boss for an advance on your salary so that you can gamble.
• You have asked friends or family for a loan so that you can gamble.
• You have gotten yourself wrapped up in legal problems relating to gambling.
• You are continuously late for work or other places that you need to be on time for.
• You are bored and restless.
• You are depressed and/or suicidal.
• You have cashed in important savings plans to fund your gambling habits.
• You have taken loans against important things such as the family home to fund your gambling sessions.
What to do if you think you have a Gambling Problem:
1. Get help today!
If you think that you have a gambling problem, don’t wait until tomorrow to get help. Depending on where you are on the world, you will often find that there are bodies who actively support people that are facing issues with addiction. Often link to them can be found on the Operators website or you can do a simple search on google. They may not be in your country but some of these links may prove useful
www.responsiblegambling.org.za
2. Get rid of temptation
Just like you wouldn’t stock up on chocolates if you’re on diet, so too should you take the necessary steps to rid yourself of temptation if you feel that you have a gambling problem. Block the casinos and betting sites from your computer and mobile devices. Ask to be removed from their newsletters and marketing campaigns.
3. Use the online casino limitation tools
We can’t stress this enough. Responsible online casinos have a number of features in place that allow you to control your gambling habits on the site. For example, you can choose to cap the amount that spend per session/day/week or month. You can choose to cap the length of time that spend in your account. Once you exceed these limitations, the casino won’t allow you to continue. What’s good about these features is that they can always be changed.
4. Self-exclusion
This is probably the most extreme way to handle problem gambling or addiction, but it’s definitely the most effective. You can ask the online casino to bar you from playing at the site for a certain amount of time. Depending on the jurisdiction you are in, the Regulator may operate an exclusion list for the industry and will assist you in excluding yourself from all online gaming and betting facilities. These exclusions are usually from 6 months to a year and during this period, you won’t be able to access your account, nor will you be able to bet for real money.
Once the period is over, you can continue to play. If you want to make things more long-term, you can opt to self-exclude permanently. This means that you’ll never be able to play at that site again. Remember to withdraw all your casino funds before you self-exclude permanently.
